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Escaflex and Rolly Flex
The Escaflex J (エスカフレックスJ型) is a Japanese 6×6 SLR made by Esca Kōgaku in 1954–5. It was briefly continued as the Rolly Flex (ローリーフレックス) after the maker changed its name to Rolly Kōgaku. The Escaflex was the first Japanese 6×6 SLR with a leaf-shutter. , item 2252, and , p.860, say this of the Rolly Flex, but this applies to its predecessor the Escaflex. Previous Japanese SLRs with a leaf shutter are the Super Flex Baby released in 1938 and the Atomflex of 1953, both in 4×4cm format. The Escaflex J Description The Escaflex J is a leaf-shuttered 6×6 SLR. It has a prismatic body with a cubic mirror box protruding at the front. The film runs from left to right and is wound by a knob at the right end of the top plate (as seen by the photographer). There is another knob at the left, whose purpose is unknown. The back is hinged to the left and the film advance is probably controlled by a red window. The nameplate is in front of the viewing hood and reads ESCAFLEX on a black background. The center part of the hood is retractable, giving place to a sports-finder, and has an Esca logo. There is also a loupe hinged at the back of the hood. The mirror is moved upwards when the release button is tripped and only comes back when the shutter is wound again. The fixed lens is a three-element Tri-Lausar 80mm f/3.5 by Tomioka, focused by turning the frontmost element. It is said that an S Congo 75/3.5 by Yamasaki was also offered at some point, but it has never been observed. , p.347. The lens is mounted in an NKS leaf-shutter giving B, 1–200 speeds. Lewis, p.86, mentions 1/300 top speed, perhaps by confusion with the Rolly Flex. There is a depth-of-field scale around the focusing ring, and the aperture scale is above the shutter housing. The release button is in front of the mirror box, towards the top, and is actuated by the photographer's right hand. There is a synch post on the opposite side, of the ASA bayonet or PC socket type. The example pictured in Lewis, p.86, and in this page of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology, has an ASA bayonet post. The example pictured in , item 2105, and the example pictured on p.45 of no.47 seem to have a PC socket. A large round part is visible below the shutter, sometimes plain silver or with a black centre part; its function is unknown. Black centre: example pictured in Lewis, p.86, and in this page of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology, and example pictured on p.45 of no.47. Plain silver: example pictured in , item 2105. Documents and surviving examples The Escaflex J was announced in Japanese magazines from April 1954; the first advertisements are dated November of the same year and they only run for a short time. , p.347. The December advertisement in Asahi Camera mentions a PC synch post and gives the price of , case included. Advertisement reproduced in , p.120. Lewis, p.86, gives the price of ¥12,500, perhaps confusing with the Rolly Flex. The production volume was certainly very low. One surviving example is pictured in , , item 2105 (lens no.2344). another belongs to the JCII collection, Example pictured in Lewis, p.86, and in this page of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology (lens no.2xxx). and a third was advertised by a dealer in an issue of . no.47, p.45. These examples show minor differences in the synch post and in the round part below the lens. It is said that an Escaflex I was announced with a behind-lens shutter and interchangeable lens, but this probably never came into being. The Rolly Flex The Rolly Flex is an evolution of the Escaflex J, released in late 1955 after the company became Rolly Kōgaku. Auto diaphragm and instant-return mirror The main new features are the addition of an automatic diaphragm and of an instant-return mirror, called "winking balancing mirror" in the advertisements. Advertisement reproduced in , p.213. When the release button is pressed, (a) the shutter blades are closed, the mirror moves up and the diaphragm is closed at the preset aperture (auto diaphragm), (b) the shutter is fired, © the mirror comes back and the shutter blades are opened, making the finder operable again (instant-return mirror). The sequence of operations is described in Otagi, p.650 of no.80. The diaphragm stays at the working aperture after the picture is taken, and is opened fully only when the shutter is wound. Otagi, p.650 of no.80. These new features were introduced by Arao Kiyoshi (荒尾清), who had filed two such patents in 1953 and 1954, and was hired by the company to improve the Escaflex at the lowest possible cost. Hagiya, p.10 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari, based on an interview of Arao Kiyoshi. The patent numbers are 201918 and 207900. Arao Kiyoshi is also mentioned in Otagi, p.650 of no.80. After that, Arao was approached by the Zunow company to design the Zunow SLR camera. Hagiya, p.10 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari. Other features The lens is the same Tri-Lausar 80mm f/3.5 as on the Escaflex; Tri-Lausar lens name: , p.374 and , item 2252. it is again front-cell focusing with depth-of-field indications. The shutter is a five-blade NKS giving T, 1–300 speeds, completely hidden behind the front plate. , p.374, precisely says that the shutter is an NKS-FB. The speed and aperture are controlled by two wheels placed at the bottom, under the lens. There is a lever on the left side of the mirror box, as seen by the photographer; pressing this lever winds the shutter and opens the diaphragm at full aperture. Function of the lever: Otagi, p.650 of no.80. The release button is placed at the same location as on the Escaflex, but is now recessed in a notch of the front plate. The synch post has moved to the left side of the mirror box, under the winding lever. A small button is visible on the side of the front plate, under the main release, closing the diaphragm for depth-of-field preview. This button is said to close the diaphragm in Hagiya, p.11 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari. It is not mentioned in Otagi. There is a magnifying lens inside the viewing hood, which was perhaps already there on the Escaflex. The nameplate reads Rolly flex on a silver background, and there is no logo on the hood. Documents and variations The Rolly Flex was advertised in Japanese magazines for a short time, from December 1955 to February 1956. , p.374. The company probably disappeared soon afterwards. The December 1955 advertisement in Sankei Camera gives the price of . Advertisement reproduced in , p.213. The lens name is given as Tri-Rolly. Wide-angle and tele converters are announced, at an anticipated price of ¥3,900 each (case included). A picture of the Rolly Flex with one of these converters is inserted but no other detail is given. The distributors of the camera are mentioned as Ōsawa Shōkai and Asanuma Shōkai. The advertisement also mentions one of the original patents by Arao and various other patents pending. Patent no.201918 and Patents Pending no.9384, 13786, 14975, 15893, 15894 and 16642. Pictures of at least four examples are known, showing minor variations. The example pictured in has chrome top and bottom covers and a rather small Rolly flex inscription on the nameplate. Example pictured in , item 2252. The advance knob is on the photographer's right, as on the Escaflex, and this example is probably an early one. The other examples have the advance knob on the other side, indicating that the film running direction changed at some time. The camera pictured in the December 1955 advertisement has chrome covers, and its nameplate has a larger Rolly flex inscription. The example pictured in an article by Otagi Michifusa in December 1958 has black covers and the smaller inscription; Example pictured in Otagi, pp.649–50 of no.80. that pictured in Hagiya has black covers and the larger inscription. Example pictured in Hagiya, p.11 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari (lens no.3094). Notes Bibliography * Items 400 and 1047. * no.47 (May 1981). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Advertisement by Tanaka Shōkai on p.45, showing an Escaflex J. * no.53. Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. * Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Zunō kamera tanjō: Maboroshi no 35mm ichigan-refu" (ズノーカメラ誕生：幻の35mm一眼レフ, The birth of the Zunow camera: A phantom 35mm SLR). Chapter 1 of Originally published in . * P.86. * Pp.283 and 860. * Otagi Michifusa (愛宕通英). "Rōra to Rōrī" (ローラとローリー, Rolla to Rolly). In no.80 (December 1958). Pp.648–50. (This article was written after the camera disappeared, in a historical perspective.) * Items 2105 and 2252. Links In Japanese: * Escaflex J in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology * Japanese 6×6 SLR cameras at the Coolys Creek blog Category: Japanese 6x6 SLR Category: E Rolly Flex